Elbow Ailments

Elbow joint is made up of three bones humerus, radius, and ulna. These bones are held in place by muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Elbow joint is used in almost all the activities that involve upper limb. It moves with almost all the movements of our arms. It allows a wide range of activities like bathing, brushing, writing, cooking, throwing a ball etc.

Causes of Elbow Ailments

Elbow problems can occur due to variety of reasons including:

A sudden (acute) injury may occur due to

fall on elbow

a direct blow to the elbow

abnormal twisting or bending of the elbow

Manual labor and prolonged typing or writing or cooking.

Overuse of the joint may cause excessive wear and tear of the joint due to overdoing of an activity or through repetition of an activity

Forceful twisting or rotating the elbow beyond the normal range of motion

The symptoms of elbow ailments depend upon the disorder and its extent (acute or chronic), But in majority of the cases, patient complains of the following problems associated with the elbow joint:

Pain in the elbow joint with or without movement

Inability to move the elbow

Swelling of the joint

Stiffness in the joint

Numbness or tingling sensation in the elbow that may also be present in the arm

Weakness in the joint that makes it unable to move

Warmth in the joint

Limping

Restricted physical activity

Bruising

Loud popping sounds

These are just common symptoms but patient may have other symptoms too that should not be ignored as elbow joint is one of the most important joint of our body. So anything that is not normal or is causing discomfort should be discussed with the doctor and treated accordingly.

Diagnosis of Elbow Ailments

The diagnosis of elbow ailments starts with a complete medical history of the patient. It is also required to consider family history of joint pains as some of these disorders run in families. This is followed by thorough physical examination of the joint to find any visible signs and assess its level of activity. In addition to these following diagnostic tests are almost always required to conclude the disorder:

X ray

Ultrasound

Bone scan

CAT scan

MRI

Arthroscopy

Biopsy

Treatment of Elbow Ailments

Treatment of elbow problems specifically depends upon the cause and extent of disorder. It is required to first evaluate the damage that has already occurred and simultaneously start the treatment that would prevent further damage. Treatment may include some of the following: